Effects of gasoline in a diesel engine
1. Car won’t start
A diesel engine cannot ignite gasoline. In contrast, gasoline is designed to ignite when a spark is introduced. As such, if you accidentally filled up a diesel vehicle with gasoline, there’s no ignition, and the car won’t start at all.
2. Engine damage
A typical engine will have a LOT of moving parts. As such, once an uncontrollable combustion occurs due to the introduction of gasoline in a diesel engine, then these parts will likely be damaged may be due to a shock of the said uncontrolled and unintended explosion.
3. Fuel system damage
As we’ve already established, gasoline is vastly different to diesel. As such, your car’s fuel injectors, fuel pump, and fuel filter might become compromised after being doused with gasoline. Also note that even minute amounts of gasoline being introduced to a diesel engine and its fuel system will cause some sort of damage.
At least this is a better scenario than blowing a hole in your head gasket.
Effects of diesel in a gasoline engine
1. Engine damage
Just like gasoline in a diesel engine, diesel in a gasoline engine will likely incur damage. Diesel, after all, is a bit more vicious and heavier than gasoline resulting in a stall or your car won’t start at all. This is the ideal scenario.
Forcing the engine to start however might result in a fire, your engine timing might even become compromised, or your cylinder might get damaged.
2. Misfiring
A misfiring engine is one of the more common signs that an there you might have mixed some amount of diesel into your gasoline car. This is especially true when the wrong fuel you filled up has mixed with the existing fuel in your tank wherein your engine hasn’t seized up and has managed to start.
While this may occur when filling up your gasoline car with diesel fuel, this can also be caused by clogged, dirty, or faulty fuel injectors, air leaks, or a fuel filter that’s too restrictive.
3. Smoking
Due to not being effectively burned by a gasoline engine, there will definitely be some amount of diesel fuel that will reach your exhaust system. This will show itself in the form of thick smoke which is a sure sign that something is terribly wrong with your engine.
We're rolling coal boys
What NOT to do when you put the wrong fuel in your car
- DO NOT turn on the ignition. Why? Because when you do this, it’ll start distributing the WRONG fuel via your car’s fuel pumps and fuel injectors.
- DO NOT start your car. Leave it alone.
- If you’ve already in the middle of driving and only realized that you've filled your car with the wrong fuel and/or you’re noticing the signs, then try to pull over and turn off your vehicle IMMEDIATELY.
- Call a tow truck. You cannot drive the car anymore. That is, if you do not want to damage your car further.
- Once you reach your mechanic, tell him/her exactly what happened and they’ll understand what to do.
What will they do exactly?
First, if you followed the steps above and didn’t turn on your gasoline or diesel vehicles, the mechanic will simply drain your fuel tank.
If you didn’t follow the do’s and don’ts listed above, then it’s most likely that your engine internals will have incurred some kind of damage because the wrong fuel will have spread in your car’s fuel system and even inside your engine’s combustion chamber.
In the event of a catastrophic explosion however, parts like your engine’s pistons, piston rings, valves, and even your gasket will be damaged and need to be replaced. For this, you might need an overhaul. Otherwise, if the damage is too much, then it’s more economically sound to buy a new car.
And for your car care and accessory needs visit Blade Auto Center outlets nationwide or shop online at www.blade.ph
All the BIGGEST brands are here at the country's LARGEST car accessories chain store, we offer global brands such
as; Sparco, DUB, MicroMagic, Goodyear, Polaroid, Mothers, Pioneer, Pertua, Chupa Chups and many more.
